Last December I wrote about a trip I took to Switzerland and my stay in Zurich. After Zurich I spent two days in Lausanne, and I had the very special privilege of staying at the Beau Rivage Palace.
The special experience started at the Lausanne train station when I was met on the platform by a well-dressed man in a suit and tie who escorted me in his very luxurious Mercedes Benz to the hotel. He gave me a min-tour of the hilly city before we arrived.
The façade of the Art Nouveau hotel was festooned with seasonal elements of pumpkins and foliage leaves. Waiting at the entrance I was warmly greeted by the head concierge Sylvie Gonin and the communications director Maxine Willens.
Sylvia gave me a fascinating and informative tour of the hotel. Beau Rivage Palace was opened in 1861 as a luxury hotel attracting international guests. Another major wing was added in 1908, which was designed in the Art Nouveau style. The two buildings are connected by a gigantic dining rotunda with hand painted, wall frescoes. Sylvie included the private salons and special event rooms on the lobby floor and shared about some of the historic meetings and conferences held at the hotel over the centuries including the signing of the agreement to end the war between Italy and Turkey in 1912 and the treaty of Lausanne in 1923. A corridor was lined with autographed photos of famous guests from French President Macron to Liza Minelli to Coco Chanel to Charlie Chaplin to Gregory Peck.
The hotel directly overlooks the majestic Lake Lausanne, and the grounds and outdoor areas cover over 10 acres. I strolled through the sprawling, multi-tiered gardens, beautifully landscaped with meticulously manicured lawns, a tennis court, a heated swimming pool (it was a warm, sunny day and I was tempted to dive in right on the spot) and flowerbeds. The outdoor café and seating area had a series of amusing fruit sculptures by Brazilian sculptor Lisa Pappon.
When I finally checked into my room later in the afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised that I was given a junior suite on the second floor overlooking the lake. It was luxuriously decorated in soft beige, taupe, gray, and pale white with a King size bed and a leather, tufted headboard, two plush club chairs, one with a comfy ottoman, and a couch. I was welcomed to the hotel with a house made lemon coffee cake, a bottle of local white wine, and an appetizing fruit plate courtesy of the management.
The lavish bathroom suite in all marble, almost the size of my bedroom in Paris, had a free-standing bathtub that faced the lake, a colored mosaic tiled floor, and a separate shower room with a bench and rain shower head.
The state-of-the-art Japanese toilet was a new experience and I pretended I knew what I was doing with the multi-function remote only to discover that the button I pressed released a strong, unexpected torrent of water aimed at you know where.
The suite had a mini terrace with two chairs and a table, and I spent the rest of the afternoon taking in the voluptuous views of the lake and the French Alps on the terrace while sipping a glass of wine and indulging in the treats from the hotel.
That evening I was invited for dinner at the hotel’s haute cuisine restaurant Ann Sophie Pic Lausanne. Pic is the only female chef in France to garner three Michelin stars for her various restaurants and the hotel restaurant was immediately awarded two stars after it opened in 2009. Directly facing the lake, the elegant but understated dining room has plush banquettes and tables set far enough apart for more intimate dining. The highlight of my dinner was the artful presentation and the dishes had imaginative garnishes which were served on sculpted china and ceramic plates and bowls with unusual shapes. I chose the Pic’s signature dishes: an appetizer of delicate raviolis stuffed with girolle and a selection of other seasonal mushrooms in a broth infused with Japanese whisky and tonka beans, and a plat of lamb, with roasted figs and fig leaves, which was tender and flavorful. The dreamy dessert of white millefeuille in the shape of a square with white clouds of soft meringue surrounding it, was served with a light Tahitian vanilla cream and a touch of jasmine jelly. In between the courses was a selection of amuse bouches which were just as delightful to look at as they were in taste.
The next day I had a treatment at the Cinq Mondes Spa, a chain of luxury spas throughout Europe. After a brief consultation with the masseuse to go over any health issues and well-being concerns, I chose the Tonifying Indian Ayurvedic massage. The masseuse vigorously kneaded my tight and sore muscles from the over 15,000 steps a day I racked up while walking in Zurich.
In between my activities at the hotel, I explored Lausanne and on Wednesday I will write about my experience.
I am excited to announce I had my first article for Fodor’s website published last week.
CLICK HERE to read
I also had lunch at the new Alain Ducasse popup restaurant ADMO a few weeks ago,
CLICK HERE to read my article.
My Paris Apartment for Rent
I am looking to rent my apartment from March 22 to April 1, 2022 a total of 11 nights/10 days.
It’s a spacious, loft style, one bedroom, with 12-foot ceilings, wood parquet floors, kitchen with dishwasher, flat screen TV, queen size bed, a bathroom with a tub, and beautifully furnished with mid-century modern furniture. It’s on the second floor and there’s an elevator.
The apartment is in a great location, in the Marais by Saint Paul, right next to metro station, bus stop and taxi stand. Also great restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and food shops right outside your doorstep.
Price: 200€ per night, minimum of 7 nights. For the full 11 nights, it’s 2,000€ instead of 2200€.
Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested or need more information.
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